I read an interesting feature story in today’s Washington Post about a woman who is standing up for her individual rights, the rights of her sex and the rights of her religion’s original purpose, unfettered by the blurred lines and violent explosions of extremists who, while primarily operating on the other side of the world, have waged war on our nation, going so far as to murder thousands of innocents while bringing down what were once two of America’s tallest symbols.

I’m not going to write the woman’s name, or even the name of her religion, out of fear for what could happen by supporting her on the Internet. Isn’t that strange, that in this world, in this city of Washington, an individual like myself would be afraid to write a blog entry because of what extremists thousands of miles away (or just a few blocks away, for that matter) might threaten do in retaliation?

This woman has taken a stand by expressing her desire for a religion that treats men and women as equals, and by doing so, she has drawn death threats from around the globe. Those same extremist Web sites that post videos of people being murdered as their assassins shout praises to the Almighty are calling for the death of this women, her family and anyone who has stood by her in public.

What has happened to our world that someone completely removed from this issue (me) would be afraid to put this woman’s name on a Web site, for fear of getting the same death threats?

Something to think about.